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Saturday, 12 November 2016

High-rise forced to admit member after cops show up

Grand Paradi at Kemps Corner had illegally demanded a
massive transfer fee from a flat buyer

A Kemps Corner high-rise that had demanded a massive
transfer fee from an apart ment buyer in violation of norms was compelled to
accept him as a member after authorities showed up and entered his name in the
society register.

Businessman R Shah had purchased a flat in Grand
Paradi two years ago, but the society refused to register him as a member
unless he paid a transfer fee of Rs 33.5 lakh.According to the law, a housing
society cannot demand more than Rs 25,000.

The flat needed urgent renovation, but Shah could not
order any work without the membership. After a series of letters failed to
resolve the dispute, Shah approached the deputy registrar of societies, which
ruled that the demand for Rs 33.5 lakh was illegal and asked Grand Paradi's
managing committee to collect only Rs 25,000.

The order was issued in March this year. The society
appeal against it, but officials again ruled in Shah's favour and asked the
managing committee to register him as a member.

Committee members apparently continued to drag their
feet on the issue, forcing the Shah family to again seek authorities' help.

On June 27, the officer of deputy registrar asked the
authorised official on the case, Anil Jadhav, to ensure the registration
formalities were completed. Jadhav visited the society twice, but each time he
was turned away.Finally, the deputy registrar wrote to the tehsildar's office.

Last week, the tehsildar and the city's executive
magistrate ordered the Malabar Hill police to visit Grand Paradi and enter
Shah's name in the register. A share certificate was also issued. “I hope this
serves as a wake-up call that such intolerance and highhandedness will not be
taken lying down,“ Shah wrote in a letter to the society.